August 31, 2022

Astroturfing

Astroturfing

What is Astroturfing?

Astroturfing is a marketing and public relations approach that uses a false picture of naturalness and spontaneity to gain support and virality. It is a frequent form of campaign used by political parties and huge corporations, among others, to mislead public opinion using modern technology and digital media.

Understanding Astroturfing

The desire to portray corporate and non-local efforts as local has resulted in a practice known as astroturfing, in which large corporations or wealthy individuals use “front groups” that appear to be local activist groups but are primarily funded and organized by national corporations or wealthy individuals from elsewhere.

Consider the following when determining whether an organization is astroturfing:

Was it supported by a corporate, a national foundation, or local funds?
Who established it (Was it established locally, and by whom?)
What interest would that group have in the proposed action or effort (for example, financial or tied to greater social concerns?)What constitutes astroturfing is defined on a sliding scale. A locally established project that receives mostly national funding is (a little) less astro-turfy than a corporation-based institution. A foundation-funded program dedicated to a greater societal aim (such as poverty eradication) is less astroturfy than a firm spending money to improve its stock price or eliminate rules that limit it. In general, what matters most is if the organization’s reality matches the story it is telling the public.

Read related articles:

« Back to Glossary Index

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.

About The Author

Damir is the team leader, product manager, and editor at Metaverse Post, covering topics such as AI/ML, AGI, LLMs, Metaverse, and Web3-related fields. His articles attract a massive audience of over a million users every month. He appears to be an expert with 10 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing. Damir has been mentioned in Mashable, Wired, Cointelegraph, The New Yorker, Inside.com, Entrepreneur, BeInCrypto, and other publications. He travels between the UAE, Turkey, Russia, and the CIS as a digital nomad. Damir earned a bachelor's degree in physics, which he believes has given him the critical thinking skills needed to be successful in the ever-changing landscape of the internet. 

More articles
Damir Yalalov
Damir Yalalov

Damir is the team leader, product manager, and editor at Metaverse Post, covering topics such as AI/ML, AGI, LLMs, Metaverse, and Web3-related fields. His articles attract a massive audience of over a million users every month. He appears to be an expert with 10 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing. Damir has been mentioned in Mashable, Wired, Cointelegraph, The New Yorker, Inside.com, Entrepreneur, BeInCrypto, and other publications. He travels between the UAE, Turkey, Russia, and the CIS as a digital nomad. Damir earned a bachelor's degree in physics, which he believes has given him the critical thinking skills needed to be successful in the ever-changing landscape of the internet. 

Hot Stories
Join Our Newsletter.
Latest News

From Ripple to The Big Green DAO: How Cryptocurrency Projects Contribute to Charity

Let's explore initiatives harnessing the potential of digital currencies for charitable causes.

Know More

AlphaFold 3, Med-Gemini, and others: The Way AI Transforms Healthcare in 2024

AI manifests in various ways in healthcare, from uncovering new genetic correlations to empowering robotic surgical systems ...

Know More
Read More
Read more
STREAM Token: A New Era for Streamflow and Onchain Economies
Stories and Reviews
STREAM Token: A New Era for Streamflow and Onchain Economies
December 6, 2024
Sandeep Nailwal Announces the 2024 Cohort of Nailwal Fellows
Stories and Reviews
Sandeep Nailwal Announces the 2024 Cohort of Nailwal Fellows
December 6, 2024
DEXX Commits To Compensating Users For Losses Following $21M Hack
News Report Technology
DEXX Commits To Compensating Users For Losses Following $21M Hack
December 6, 2024
The Future of Privacy on Public Blockchains and How COTI is Paving the Way for Secure Decentralized Systems
Interview Business Markets Software Technology
The Future of Privacy on Public Blockchains and How COTI is Paving the Way for Secure Decentralized Systems
December 6, 2024